Any punters here? Since no-one's read my thread about Nelly, I've used her proper name. She's starting at AUD1:15, attempting her 22nd consecutive win.

Black Caviar by a nostril from Moonlight Cloud!

An amazing Nag.

From some of the BBC coverage, it looks like there was some error in how she was ridden. The commentators spoke as if the jockey relaxed too soon.

But she got it. :ok:

Greyhounds don't need no pilots.:rolleyes:

The jockey said he 'underestimated the stiffness of the track' then referred to 'pilot error', so he may have been counting strides or whatever. Australian tracks are generally dry, hard and fast by comparison with Ascot. It may not have been a famous victory, but it was still most definitely a victory. :ok:

Fair enough. I wonder what she could have done if she was used to it?

Good question. Considering the five best sprinters in Europe finished within a few yards of Black Caviar, it could be that the stiffness of the competition was underestimated as well. The Royal Ascot site describes the going as 'good', too. not quite the bog that some local commentators have mentioned.

It will be interesting to see how she goes when she's out of quarantine and back home. It looks as though the plans are to race her for another year, at least. She's only 6, but she's had a bit of a history of ailments, for all her physical strength.

If you see her walk, note how far ahead of the print of her front foot her back foot lands compared with other horses. She is a freak in that respect. Also, hardly anyone bets on her, but that's understandable.

BBC Radio commentator suggested that the jockey misunderstood the location of the finish and eased-up four or five lengths early.

That's an odd thing for a top jockey to do. He didn't seem to be looking around at*all in the last furlong, and seemed quite surprised to see the Frenchman creeping up beside him. I think he was lucky to have the space ahead to get a bit of a charge out of his horse and win. Still, as they say, the punters who backed the horse have already forgiven the jockey. But it was a strange way to win.

Don't normally do racing but tuned in because of the fuss.

After the race the owner put an arm round the jockey and essentially said no worries.

But I reckon right now the poor jock is still getting his arse kicked for easing off so dramatically. Imagine the fuss if he'd been edged, everyone would have been crying fix!!

Yay for Black Caviar! :ok:
There was a bit of a stink a few weeks ago when some media talking head referred to her as Australia's greatest female athlete. Before the words were out of his mouth he was being abused by a number of very cranky female rowers, swimmers, net ballers and the like. :E the whole thing was hilarious.:}

Imagine the fuss if he'd been edged, everyone would have been crying fix!!If she'd lost that would have happened anyway. ;)

If you feel like a racing related laugh, check out the wiki entry (or other sources) on the Fine Cotton Affair. How not to fix a race...
Fine Cotton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Cotton)

The Royal Ascot site describes the going as 'good', too.
Good in the UK = Races abandoned due to the condition of the track in Oz!;)

Any track in the UK is going to be heavy going for an Aussie horse, the same way when UK runners come here come up lame even on a dead track!:ok:

I put $100 on her for the win........got $135 back so it is still better than bank interest.............all in all a magnificent horse.

Glad you did well. I trust you didn't spend the whole $135 (plus extra) on celebratory rum and cokes. :}
We get the odd soft track in Australia, too...:\
http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/2010/12/08/2085775/Albion-Park-420-420x0.jpg
Albion Park In Flood Zone, Says Campbell Newman (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/albion-park-flood-claims-dont-hold-water-racing-queensland-20101208-18pvx.html)

Yes, That IS soft going.

On tonights news the connections said that she pulled up sore after Saturday so I suspect the condition of the track did have an effect. However, she is a big horse, 16.2 hands, and races at something like 520 kg, so she would be prone to injury and apparently has a history of them.

That said her outstanding feature is a willingness to leave the pack which is why she is a winner. Horses are herd animals and in the wild it is those at the back or the front of the mob that get picked off by the predators so a horse's natural instinct is to remain in the herd. "Nelly" is different. For anyone who has watched her wins in Australia would have seen a very powerful horse just leave the pack behind with a couple of hundred metres to go to the post.

As an opinion, she should be retired to stud. She is 6 which for most race horses is getting on (given the criminal tendency to run them as 2 year olds in Australia) and she can only rear one foal a year (11 month gestation) so its time she passed on those genes. However, if her connections are like most then they will continue to flog her (metaphorically as I notice she doesn't take or need the whip) until she really breaks down, possibly catastrophically given her size.

(metaphorically as I notice she doesn't take or need the whip)

I liked what Peter Moody (the trainer) said on the recent 'Australian Story' on the ABC to Luke Nolen........"you hit her and I'll hit you". It will be interesting to see how her little brother goes......recently sold at the yearling sales for $2.6 million....makes Nellie at $210,000 a real bargain.

I trust you didn't spend the whole $135 (plus extra) on celebratory rum and cokes.

No...it just went into my Internet account....but I was a bit charged with adrenalin after the race so had a couple of Single Malts to celebrate Nellie's victory and so I could get to sleep (well actually I had four)

Goodo. :ok:
As an opinion, she should be retired to stud. She mightn't want to settle down and 'be a mum' yet. :} Career mare and all that...

I put $100 on her for the win........got $135 back so it is still better than bank inte
Capt G, who did you bet with? Fixed odds was paying $1.15; SP was $1.10 on Qld TAB.

My question too, Capt Grumpy! Do you by chance have SP bookies in the UK or did you get on early? There was 1:3 on available earlier, apparently.

If she goes to stud, they could stick her under Frankel, perhaps...

Better than the stud my daughter crossed her mare with.
He was 17.2, but his bl**dy off-spring only made 15.1.
Very disappointing.
Mind you, he has a lovely nature.

1:5 in the UK at the off, prices were a little looser earlier.

Frankel and Black Caviar would be a bloody quick root.

SO